1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vacuum processing apparatus in which the transfer of an object to be processed such as, for example, a semiconductor wafer and vacuum processing such as etching and film deposition are performed under a vacuum atmosphere.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a conventionally known vacuum processing apparatus, there is a vacuum processing apparatus which applies, under a vacuum atmosphere, vacuum processing such as, for example, etching and film deposition to an object to be processed such as, for example, a semiconductor wafer. As such a vacuum processing apparatus, also known is one in which a transfer mechanism is provided in a vacuum chamber (vacuum transfer chamber) and an object to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer is carried in this vacuum transfer chamber (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-open Application No. Hei 8-11940).
When the above-described vacuum processing apparatus includes, for example, a mechanically operating mechanism such as a transfer mechanism provided in the vacuum chamber, grease (vacuum grease) is sometimes applied as a lubricant to a slide mechanism part and the like of the transfer mechanism and the like provided in the vacuum chamber. In such a case, periodic resupply of the grease to the slide mechanism part and the like in the vacuum chamber is necessary. In the conventional vacuum apparatus, at the time of this grease resupply, the vacuum chamber is opened to the atmosphere and a worker injects the grease to a predetermined place by using a grease gun or the like.
However, the work of once opening the vacuum chamber, which has been set to the vacuum atmosphere, to the atmosphere and supplying the grease takes time and trouble. Moreover, it takes time to set the vacuum chamber, which is once opened to the atmosphere, to the vacuum atmosphere again so as to allow the resumption of the vacuum processing. This has a problem of lowering the operating rate of the vacuum processing apparatus to worsen productivity.
Another problem is that the maintenance of the grease supply may possibly be forgotten and a sliding operation with insufficient grease is continued for a long period of time, which may possibly give a bad effect to the vacuum processing apparatus.